Chapter 17

I scanned the small diner, but I did not see Sandra. In fact, the whole damn place was empty, except for a small girl in the back corner booth. She had pale blonde hair and looked to only be about 12 or 13. I was mind boggled. I had never seen Sandra despite working with her on several occasions, but a small child didn’t fit the reputation the with had created. I had fully been expecting a lady with greying hair and lots of wrinkles. Maybe someone with flowy robes and a whimsical personality, but the small girl looked serious, and she wore a simple jumper, making me think I was juked.

“Who are you?” I demanded as I approached the table.

“Who do you want me to be?” The girl answered, doing what nearly no one ever dare to: she looked me in the eyes.

“I asked for Sandra to meet me here.”

“I know.”

“Then where is she?” I asked frustratedly.

“You do not believe I am her?” She looked at me quizzically.

“What are you doing here?”

“I heard you have a problem, and it interests me.”

“You’re 12.” I said in disbelief.

“I have complete control over my appearance." The small girl replied. “I am how I am for a reason.”

“Is it to make me feel crazy and uncomfortable?”

“No.” She answered simply. “That is just an added benefit. You requested me. Now, did I come all this way to waste time talking about my appearance or do you have an actual problem for me to solve?”

I glared at her as I slid into the booth across from her, and Sawyer slid in next to me. “I have a problem.” I bit out finally. “I have several.”

“Alright. Then let’s get to it. Tell me, what exactly it is you need?”

“As you probably already know, I have been looking for my Luna for a while now. I have tried several different women over the course of the last few years since I have not been able to find my mate. None have worked out so far, as I am sure you are also aware.”

I paused to make sure the witch was following, and she nodded telling me to continue.

“On my most recent travels, I found a girl, who is different than a lot of the others. She doesn’t speak and she can’t write, so we are having to sort of piece everything together. I know that the people she was living with before me were not kind and definitely more than a little abusive, so we can’t get information from them, and we think they are a large part of the problem.”

“Okay, Alpha Sonnett,” The child looked at me curiously. “That was a great backstory, but tell me what exactly is the problem here?”

I gave her an annoyed look. “This girl I rescued, she has been marked. It appears that she was marked against her will.”

“And you're wondering if it can be undone?” She asked.

“Yes.” I breathed, realizing that I was putting a lot of weight on this singular question.

“Well, theoretically, yes, it can be undone. Since it was not a consensual mark, and I assume she did not mark the person back, she should be able to simply formally rejecting the former marker.”

“Are there any consequences for her rejecting him?” Sawyer asked, speaking up for the first time. I was glad he was my Gamma and her doctor because he could think on both sides of the problems.

“Well, it will probably hurt. If she is still recovering from what has previously been inflicted on her then she might need time to heal first. Her wolf should be able to help her carry the pain though.”

“That’s the other thing,” I said uneasily. “Her wolf is bound. From what my Gamma has told me, it appears to be at least twice.”

Several people entered the diner, as the dinner rush started to come in, and the empty place started to fill.

The witch looked surprised, which made me uneasy, but I kept my face emotionless.

“Her wolf is bound?”

“I just said that, yes.” I growled.

“Well, she would almost positively would not survive the rejection in such a weakened state as you have described.”

I did my best not to show my frustration. This was becoming more complicated by the minute.

“Is there a way to free her wolf?”

The girl drummed her fingers on the table with her thoughts. “It is extremely difficult to do.” She said after a long pause.

“What’s it going to cost me?” I asked through gritted teeth.

She took another long moment before she answered, “3 million dollars, plus accommodations and you provide anything and everything I require.”

“Sawyer, make it happen.” I said after less than moment of thought.

Sawyer looked outraged and surprised that I agreed so readily, but I didn’t need to think. Grace needed this.

Sawyer sighed, but pulled out his phone and began to make it all happen.

The diner was nearly full, and the music was louder, it felt more like a club than anything. I rubbed my head tiredly.

“Where is this girl from that she was treated so bad?” The witch, who may or may not be Sandra asked.

“She came from the Red Blood pack.”

Sawyer’s phone dropped to the table with a clang out of the witch's hand and I looked at her incredulously. “What’s wrong?” Sawyer asked, uneasily.

The witch was frozen. Her eyes were wide with panic in her eyes. During the conversation, I had nearly forgotten she was a 12 or 13 year-old girl, but now she looked every bit one.

“Are you alright?” I asked when she didn’t answer Sawyer, but we could feel the tension building into the uneasy silence... I didn’t like the way she had stopped moving. I didn’t like the way she had responded to the pack name. I didn’t like where this was going.

“I can’t help you.” She said, standing up abruptly.

“What, why?” I asked, but she was already gone disappearing into the crowd.